I love wearing shorts when I can, and I live in a cool region of the U.S. (New England). For well over twenty years I’ve worn shorts for almost half the year, usually May through October, give or take a few days, and this year I’ve worn them at night when taking walks in my city neighborhood when I knew I wouldn’t be going to a store or talking with anyone.
But what about now? Does anyone know if it’s safe to wear shorts now, especially in cities; during the day, when shopping, riding buses and trains? I’d love to start now, as it’s getting warm out. Yes, I know that kneecaps don’t sneeze and thighs don’t spit, but aren’t there other ways of catching the virus?
My custom before going out is to take a shower first. I don’t usually take a second shower unless it’s been brutally hot and I’ve been sweating; or else I’ve been doing something that makes me feel unclean. That’s me. I’m a clean guy but not “shower crazy”. Having to thoroughly sanitize my hands, arms and face when I come home every day after taking the mask off is a pain as it is, and I’d hate to have to take yet another shower when I get home “just in case”.
Does anyone know anything about this or have advice? COVID is not, so far as I know, transmitted by simply being outdoors or being where there are people of a greater than six foot distance. I’m thinking of bus stations, small neighborhood stores, and even large ones; parks, places where people go to be outside. I’ll continue wearing a mask into and likely through the summer, but does exposing one’s arms and legs in public places pose in itself a danger? (And yes, this is a serious question.)
Thanks in advance for any reasonable response.
John
I’m not sure that pants vs skin will have any difference in virus transmission. The problem would be in picking up virus by sitting on a contaminated surface, then touching your legs or pants, transferring the virus to your hands, and then touching your face. Whether your pants or your legs get contaminated probably wouldn’t make much difference.
Here in Hawaii, we wear shorts year-round and think very highly of them. You can have our shorts when you pry them from our cold, dead hands. However, I’ve not once until your post heard anything about shorts-wearing being dangerous. Note that Hawaii has gotten off relatively lightly in the crisis, with only 641 cases and 17 deaths to date.
Viruses can’t penetrate skin, they need some kind of hole to get in. Your face holes are particularly vulnerable, as they’re constantly exchanging air with the environment. Hands are a danger, but only because you’re probably going to use them to touch your face holes at some point.
Unless you’ve got a gaping wound on your leg, or you like to pick your teeth with your toenails, legs are not a big worry.
Thanks for all the answers and responses, everyone! It seems that wearing the mask AND good personal hygiene are the best way to protect oneself from the virus. So far, so good for me.
Interesting about Hawaii, and good to hear.
My sense is that (alas) social distancing is still essential, and shall be for some time. All the “get back to work” cities and states may, some of them, suffer for this. Let’s hope this works out for the better.
